PS 3537 
.P77 E5 
1892 
Copy 1 




\, 



/ 




(■: ^ 



:'^'3i^ Mi ^ ^ 





An Elect Lady. 



BY 



MARY McD. SANTLEY. 



strength and honor are her clothing ; and she shall rejoice in time to come.'''' 

She openeth her month 7vifh rvisdoni ; and in her tongne is the la'iu of kindness." 

She looketh 7vell to the zvays of her honsehold," '■'• '■'■ '■'• ■■' 

■■'■-■ '■'■ ''■'■ '■'■'■ " a 7i'oman thatfeareth the Lord, she 

shall be praised." 



PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. 



CT.F,VKI,AND, OHIO, 

i8q2. 



SEP S6 189. 






y 



"vri\^^'^ 



Copyrighted 

By MRS. MARY McD. .SANTI^KY 

March, 1S92. 



(All rights reserved.) 



Dear Young Women : 

I send to you this little tribute 
to '' An Elect Lady,'' the beautiful and noble Susanna 
Annesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley. I hope 
that its perusal may prompt >ou to study and emulate the 
character of one of whom the learned Dr. Adam Clarke 
said, " I could not repress the tears while contemplating 
her Christian and womanly virtues, and her more than 
manly struggles with adversity. Such a woman, take her 
for all in all, I have not heard of, I have not read of, nor 
with her equal have I been acquainted." 

M. McD. S. 



An Elect Lady. 



, BORN — I^ONDON, i66q. 
huSANNA WKSI.KV, ■{ 

DIED — BRISTOL, I 742. 



Two centuries, with stately, solemn tread 
Have joined the marching ranks of all the ages 
vSummoned by the voice of God, low sounding, 
vSince first thought flowers enwreathed this brow 
Forerunning golden fruitage, and revealing 
A regal intellect enthroned ; till now 
vScarce found in woman, lovely, clinging, 
Thought to be. Two hundred years and more 
Since first in London she these flowers w^ore. 



Clothed in the garments beautiful of truth. 
And maiden graces — Heaven-born and sweet — 
Strong, yet kindly, stood she for what was best 
In girlhood, as when wintry storms of life 
Beat round her ; stood, in calm, supremest rest 
A model daughter, mother, teacher, wife. 
'Though nineteen children la}- upon her breast 
She taught them all in arts the most polite, 
And in their deepest studies was their light. 



In tender years she nicest problems solved, 
And as her budding charms to ripeness came 
Was deft in rav'ling tangled skeins of creed, 
And priestess was for son and neighbor too ; 
Their web of life from many knots she freed. 
And many mothers since, her course in view, 
An inspiration for their sorest need 
Have sought, where she so freely found supply 
Each morn and eventide, of God most high. 

O Priestess of Epworth ! still dost thou shine 
A guiding star, earth's daughters, if they will 
May surely follow. Thy radiant light 
Ne'er has been dimmed by sister shining star ; 
And the twin orbs thou gavest, in the height 
Of full effulgent glory gleam afar 
Enswathed in radiance from the Holy Light. 
Thou gavest one, a Psalmist sweet, to sing ; — 
He, by his hymns a world to Christ may bring ; — 
Sweet lyrics, sung round many a couch of death 
Where'er is spoke the tongue he wrote them in. 
And one, almost thy very self was he, 
Though crowned, still points, by life and thought 

to God 
A happy people, grateful unto thee. 



^-^ 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



018 360 039 4 



^^. 



